The traditional 20th anniversary gift is something platinum. But when Arbor Brewing Company celebrated its 20th anniversary this weekend, it gave us what it has been giving us for two decades: beer!

Twenty years ago, the brewpub opened on Washington Street in downtown Ann Arbor. Today, thanks largely to the anchoring of Arbor Brewing Company (and Grizzly Peak), the street boasts restaurants, a chocolate shop, an independent bookstore, a barbecue restaurant/brewpub, whiskey bar and many other delights. On July 31, the street was closed down and a grand 20th anniversary party was held. The event was basically what you would expect from the friendly bar: good music, good eats from food trucks and great beer.

When asked for the first three things that come to mind on this momentous day, owner-operator Rene Greff said, “Wow! Well, first, Jim “Mr. Largebeat” Gertz has been washing dishes for us (among other things) since the day we opened and we were thrilled to see him return to work after winning the fight against leukemia! Second, we have a freakin’ brewpub in India! And third…who ever would have guessed back in the mid ’90s that we would be surviving and thriving 20 years later – certainly not us!”